My interest in applied geophysics began when I was an undergraduate working toward a degree in geology at Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. I decided to be a geophysicist, with a focus on mining exploration. Once the BS degree was granted, I moved to Rio de Janeiro to work as a geologist at the Brazilian Ministry of Mines and Energy (DNPM and later at CPRM) where I was involved with gravity and magnetics data acquisition and interpretation. During this period, my desire to become a geophysicist increased enormously because I learned a lot of magnetic data acquisition and interpretation from Donald Hoover, a USGS geophysicist (now retired and still a good friend) at the Ministry of Mines and Energy, through a cooperative agreement between Brazil and the USA. After two years of extensive study and hard work, I went to work for a mining prospecting company, looking for base metals and gemstones. I later joined a company which performed airborne magnetics and gammaspectrometry data acquisition, where my task was to process and interpret the data.

During all the time I was working with those companies, I felt I needed a formal background in geophysics, i.e., at least a master's degree in geophysics. Then, trying to pursue that goal, I was granted, after a worldwide entrance examination, a Fulbright scholarship which paved my way to go to Saint Louis University where I earned master's and PhD degrees in geophysics, with emphasis in gravity and magnetics. Despite being offered a job to stay in the United States with a major oil company, I decided to return to Brazil. I got a job with Petrobras, the Brazilian oil company, in early 1980, and I am now the manager of Non-Seismic Geophysics.

In addition, I am also a part-time associate professor at the University Federal Fluminense, in Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where I teach applied gravity, magnetic, digital signal analysis, and inversion of geophysical data.

Would you like to mention anything about your personal attributes that helped you achieve the professional status you enjoy today; was it self-belief, hard work, a mentor, or something else?

I believe it was a mixture of self-belief and hard work, greatly helped by my understanding that applied science has to be founded on a solid knowledge about the fundamental physical principles linking the physical properties of rocks to geophysical methods (gravity, magnetics, electromagnetics, seismic, etc.). In addition, I never liked to take a "No" in answer to a question, without a convincing explanation why not to do something or to go ahead! Because of that, I believe I have managed to, on several occasions, change the status of some well-established positions.

Why did you choose this lecture topic? Why is it important?

Because I believe mCSEM (marine controlled-source electromagnetics) has shown to be an important auxiliary geophysical method for seismic interpreters, in helping mitigate the risks of false negative anomalies interpreted from some well established DHI (direct hydrocarbon indicator), such as AVO, in such a way as to provide a prospect de-risking assessment. In addition, provided there is already an oil discovery and the proper environment conditions for the application of mCSEM, this technique helps the mapping of the lateral extension of the target reservoir, and, hopefully, it also may help to delineate its vertical distribution, through the utilization of a well-tuned joint 2.5D and 3D mCSEM and seismic inversions. It is also important in building a velocity model for some complex salt scenarios, especially in mapping the base of allochthonous bodies. I will show that a combined inversion of seismic data with mCSEM and MT data increases the accuracy in determining the base of salt.

Could you tell us in a few sentences what your course objectives are?

The main objective of my lecture is to show the importance of the application of mCSEM in prospect de-risking, mapping bypassed oil zones, prospect appraisal , and evaluation through real case histories. In addition, I will address the workflow within Petrobras to attain those objectives.

What do you hope people will have learned after they attend your lecture? How is it different from other lectures?

The message I intend to leave is that integration is the name of the game! That is, using other physical rock parameters such as resistivity, where the mCSEM is highly sensitive, together with seismic attributes. So integration means the combined use of seismic with mCSEM and that this has shown its value to Petrobras within the exploration workflow.

You have quite a busy year ahead. Do you enjoy traveling? Will it be difficult to balance the tour with your work?

Yes, I enjoy traveling and it will not be difficult to balance it with my work.

Would you share with us one or two of your most exciting successes?

It was to build, within Petrobras, a group of young geophysicists completely dedicated to the development and application of non-seismic geophysics (gravity, magnetic and electromagnetic), especially one subgroup entirely dedicated to EM methods. With such highly dedicated geophysicists, we were able to achieve at Petrobras recognition of the value of mCSEM and, consequently, the company sponsored the largest mCSEM data acquisition ever acquired offshore Brazil. The result of this survey forms the basis of my presentations during my 2013 Central and South America Honorary Lecture.

How about a couple of disappointments?

It was the lack of understanding of one of my previous directors of exploration, while I was working with the Ministry of Mines and Energy, who felt that providing an advanced education for those who wanted to pursue a master's degree in geosciences was a kind of nonsense! Fortunately, this kind of person is no longer working for the government.

What advice would you give to geophysics students and professionals just starting out in the industry?

Keep updated with the development and advancement of geophysics as applied to the oil industry, keep studying vigorously and continuously, never give up your beliefs, be truthful/frank with your partners, managers and co-workers.